Thermally isolated fume exhausting attachment for soldering irons

Abstract

An electric soldering iron having an elongated heater barrel extending from a handle and a soldering tip projecting from the end of the barrel is provided with a thermally isolated fume exhausting attachment positioned coaxially of the barrel and surrounding the tip for withdrawing objectionable fumes, gases, smoke and other air-borne contaminants from the soldering site. The attachment includes a metallic shell having a forward hood portion, overlying the tip and forming a fume exhaust chamber connected to a vacuum source by an exhaust conduit including a flexible transparent plastic tube portion, and a rearward slotted clamping portion secured to the front end of the barrel by a clamping ring. A compressible thermally insulative sleeve of alumina silicate fibers is interposed between the clamping portion and the barrel for thermally insulating the attachment from the heated barrel to preclude burn injury to the user of the iron. The withdrawn fumes are initially cooled by mixing with ambient air in the hood portion and the fumes are further cooled during passage through the exhaust tube so that the temperature of the fume-air mixture is below the which would cause a burn should the exhaust conduit be contacted by the user. However, the temperature of the fume-air mixture is maintained at a sufficient level to minimize condensation and agglomeration of flux material on the walls of the exhaust conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In combination with a soldering iron having a handle, an elongated heated barrel extending from the handle and a soldering tip axially projecting from the end of said barrel, a fume exhausting device comprising: a shell of heat conducting material positioned coaxially of the barrel and having a first end section thereof extending about the tip of the soldering iron, said first end section having a hole formed therein which is located to overlay the tip, the second end of said shell being positioned about said barrel and having at least one slot formed therein;   a sleeve of compressible thermal insulating material positioned within the second end of the shell and interposed between the shell and the barrel of the soldering iron for thermally insulating the shell from the heated barrel;   a band of flexible material positioned about the slotted second end of the shell;   means tightening the band to collapse the slotted end of the shell and compress the insulating sleeve against the barrel and hold the shell in position; and   means extending from said hole for exhausting vapors from about the tip.   
     
     
       2. A fume exhausting attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein the first end section is formed with a first diameter and said second end section is formed with a second diameter larger than said first diameter to provide a shoulder section interconnecting said first and second end sections, and said sleeve is seated within said second section to rest upon said shoulder section. 
     
     
       3. In combination with a soldering iron having a handle, an elongated heated barrel extending from the handle and a soldering tip axially projecting from the end of said barrel, a fume exhausting device comprising: a collar constructed of compressible thermal insulating material surrounding a forward end section of the barrel;   a shell constructed of heat conductive material having a first end section encasing said collar and thermally insulated by the collar from the barrel and a second end section projecting over a portion of the axially extending tip to provide a chamber about the tip, said second section being provided with a hole extending therethrough to said chamber;   a tube constructed of heat conductive material secured to the second section of the shell about said hole and extending angularly away from said second section and then extending in spaced, parallel relation to said barrel, said tube terminating at a position alongside the barrel and spaced from said handle;   said shell having at least one longitudinal slot extending along said first section of the shell;   means applying a clamping force to said first section for collapsing said first section about the collar and compressing said thermal insulating collar against the forward end section of the barrel; and   a flexible tube of non-heat conductive material connected to the end of said heat conductive tube adapted to apply vacuum through said tube to said chamber whereby heated fumes are withdrawn from the chambers and passed through said tube at temperatures so that the tube is not heated to such an extent to cause heat injuries to a using operator.   
     
     
       4. A fume exhausting attachment as defined in claim 3, wherein said collar of thermal insulating material is constructed from a compressible woven mat of alumina silicate fibers. 
     
     
       5. In combination with a soldering iron having a handle, an elongated heated barrel extending from the handle and a soldering tip axially projecting from the end of said barrel, a fume exhausting device comprising: a cylindrical shell of heat conducting metal having a forward hood section connected through a shoulder to a rearward clamping section having at least one longitudinally extending slot;   a sleeve formed of compressible heat insulating material and positioned within said clamping section to abut said shoulder of said shell, said sleeve having an outer diameter approximating the inner diameter of the clamping section of the shell and an inner diameter approximating the outer diameter of the heated barrel on which the sleeve is mounted, said sleeve acting to thermally insulate said shell from the heated barrel;   a clamp including a band surrounding the clamping section of the shell and means for drawing the band about the shell clamping section to compress the clamping section against the compressible sleeve, said sleeve being fitted and compressed about a forward section of the barrel of the soldering iron with the shoulder of the shell overlaying the end of the barrel to position the hood section about the axially projecting soldering tip;   said hood of the sleeve being provided with a hole positioned over the soldering tip when the shell is clamped to a soldering iron;   a heat conducting metal tube connected about said hole and running parallel to the barrel of the soldering iron and terminating before reaching the handle; and   a heat insulating tube constructed of transparent plastic coupled at one end to said metal tube and connected to the other end to a source of vacuum that is effective to apply vacuum to the hood to withdraw heated fumes without withdrawing solder from a soldering site engaged by the soldering tip whereby the fumes are drawn through said tube adjacent to said handle at temperatures that will not inflict a burning injury to a using operator.